Description
This quick & easy creamy pasta con broccoli dish tastes rich and luxurious, but comes together in under 30 minutes using only a few simple, fresh ingredients!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets (about 2–3 small heads of broccoli)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or vegan butter
- 6–7 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot
- 1/2 cup liquid vegan mozzarella
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- Sea salt + pepper to taste
- 16 ounces homemade pasta or store bought pasta of your choice
- Vegan parmesan cheese, to top
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice, to finish
Instructions
- Prep: Clean the broccoli, and dice the broccoli into broccoli florets. Set aside. Mince the garlic and shallot and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Boil the broccoli: Once the water is boiling, add in the broccoli. Cover and let steam for 5-7 minutes, or until fork tender.
- While the broccoli is boiling: In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add in the garlic and shallots, and saute until the garlic and shallots are lightly browned and aromatic. Reduce the heat to low/simmer if the broccoli is still cooking.
- Add the broccoli to the pan: Use a slotted spoon or colander to remove the broccoli without dumping out the water. Place the broccoli into the pan with the garlic and shallots. Bring the heat up to medium low, and keep the water pot boiling.
- Boil the pasta: Add in the pasta to the broccoli water that’s now boiling again. Cook according to packaging instructions.
- While the pasta is boiling: Saute the broccoli in the pan with the garlic and shallots. Then use a fork or a potato masher to carefully mash the broccoli in the pan. This should be fairly easy, as the broccoli is fully cooked and soft. Add in the liquid vegan mozzarella cheese, along with sea salt and pepper. Stir to combine and reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Add in the pasta: Once the pasta is al dente, reserve 1 cup of pasta water and add it to the broccoli and cheese mixture. Strain the pasta or pasta noodles, then pour the cooked pasta into the broccoli sauce pan. Stir to combine.
- Season and cook: Season the sauce more if desired, and stir to completely coat the pasta in the broccoli sauce.
- Serve and enjoy! Once coated in the sauce, serve the broccoli pasta with vegan parmesan cheese and lemon juice to finish, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Notes
Gluten free: Swap in your favorite gluten free pasta here.
